CHARLESTON, Ill. – Indiana State shot just 27 percent from the floor and struggled to contain Eastern Illinois' offense in a 63-39 setback at Lantz Arena Friday evening.
 
Eastern Illinois (5-5) jumped out to a 7-0 lead early on while Indiana State (5-5) was slow to start, committing two turnovers and missing a field goal while EIU took a touchdown's margin lead. 
 
Indiana State was led by Krystal Rice's seven points, all of which came in the second half and included a steal and layup in the final seconds of the game. Ana Valero Lopez scored five points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds while Kierra Isaiah also grabbed five rebounds.
 
The biggest offensive spurt for the Sycamores came late in the game as ISU scored 16 points in the final quarter, double that of any single quarter scoring mark for the Sycamores. 
 
The host Panthers were led by Karle Pace's 18 points while Taylor Steele added 12 points and /Jennifer Nehls grabbed 11 rebounds.
 
The loss ends a four-game winning streak in the series for Indiana State, which has not lost to Eastern Illinois since Dec. 10, 2011. The 39 points ties for the fewest points a Sycamore team has scored on EIU in the series, matching a 42-39 loss to the Panthers in 1973-74.
 
The Sycamores, which have lost four of their last five, take nine days off for Christmas break before returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 30 when ISU hosts Davenport at the Hulman Center.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.